To bolster his argument that Armenia needs a law criminalizing the defamation of public servants, Karen Amiryan, Senior Prosecutor of the Organizational-Control and Legal Support Department of the Prosecutor General's Office, say that slandering a public servant is an insult to the state.

Amiryan said this at an online discussion today, convened by Yerevan’s Media Center, of a bill introduced yesterday by the Prosecutor General’s Office that seeks to criminalize the insult or slandering of public servants.

Amiryan referred to the example of European countries, such as Germany and Austria, where criminal liability is established for insult.

He said that Armenia faces a hate speech problem and that solutions must be found.

Rule of Law NGO expert, lawyer Davit Asatryan countered that criminal liability would be a cruel measure to take against people who want to express their opinion, no matter how slanderous or insulting.

According to the lawyer, such a sanction can create an atmosphere of fear, as well as limit political discourse. Asatryan did not agree that insulting an official is tantamount to insulting the state.

He stressed that authoritarian states are more apt to use such strict measures, and it must be seen as a retreat from democracy.

Ashot Melikyan, Chairman of the Committee to Protect Freedom of Expression, recalled that such discussions took place more than ten years ago, when insult and slander were decriminalized in Armenia.

Melikyan said that although those were much more authoritarian times, the arguments of media representatives won the day, and insult and slander were decriminalized.

Melikyan argued that since Armenia lacks the democratic traditions of Germany or Austria, such a legislative change would be abused by the authorities and would seriously hinder freedom of speech and media work.

Yerevan Press Club President Boris Navasardyan said that such initiatives are viewed in a political context. He noted that after insult and slander were decriminalized, many cases were heard in court, which is appropriate for a democratic country.

He said that such bills are due to the political crisis in Armenian following the recent war in Artsakh and that criminalizing slander would not resolve the problem.